MSS: Michael Rosenthal

Michael Rosenthal was a big part of USC winning its fourth consecutive men's water polo national title, and he relives the experience and how he's already preparing for a run at championship number five.

Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Jeff Commings: This is the Morning Swim Show for Wednesday, December 14 ,2011 I'm your host Jeff Commings in the FINIS monitor today we'll talk to Michael Rosenthal. He's a junior water polo player at USC and they just won their four straight men's NCAA water polo national championships, something that is never been done in history. Michael Rosenthal joins us right now in the FINIS monitor from Los Angeles. Michael, welcome to the Morning Swim Show. How are you today?

Michael Rosenthal: Thank you. Good morning.

Jeff Commings: So four straight national titles, congratulations.

Michael Rosenthal: Thank you very much. It's very exciting:

Jeff Commings: So we talked earlier in the season to the two seniors on the team, Peter Kurzeka and Joe Dennerley, and they talked to us about how this was an ongoing conversation making history and being the only team four straight titles. So now that you've done it how does it feel?

Michael Rosenthal: It feels incredible. Literally the entire I've been at SC, that's what we've been striving for. I redshirtedd in first year so I wasn't involved in the playing aspect of water polo that year but since then I've gotten much more involved in the game and getting more playing time and every year it's when national championship, makeshistory. And for Peter it was a ultimate goal and now that we have 1 more year to go we're going for 5 as well.

Jeff Commings: did it make it even sweater that you beat your crosstown rival UCLA?

Michael Rosenthal: Yeah it's always awesome to beat the Bruins. There's a big rivalry there. We have respect for the other team but if it comes down to Trojans VS bruins and Trojans have to win the whole time.

Jeff Commings: It's Trojan all the way. So you are as you mention a red shirt junior you have one more year. I know I'm sure just the excitement of winning 4 is still kind of floating over the campus at USC, but is there already talk of five in a row?

Michael Rosenthal: Absolutely, we lose Peter and Joel who are two hugely important pieces to our team. But we still keep everyone else. And there's so many great players that are coming back and our coaching staff is gonna do whatever it takes get us to be in the right position at the end of this season. And every year our program's goal is to win a national championships. So as long as we keep winning it's always gonna be the next year were trying to win one more. So five is the next step.

Jeff Commings: and I imagine that next season it's gonna be pretty tough. As I check on the roster next year they'll be including you. It will be 7 seniors so that will be a pretty big lost for the USC but as I keep looking down the Roaster it's like there's like eight freshman so I don't think you guys are really gonna be losing a lot.

Michael Rosenthal: Well, the class that came in with me, pretty much everyone redshirted except for Peter and Joel. Matt Burton didn't redshirt this year but he had a medical redshirt. So the whole class a lot of them are coming back and so that's a good senior leadership. And then this past year and the year before, we got incredible freshman coming in that came in right away and made impacts on our team. So we have good talent trough out the roster from freshman all the way up to seniors and that's a part of the USC program. Jovan gets all the good players and he develops good players into great players.

Jeff Commings: Well he got you all the way from Miami, I means that a pretty far reach to be getting you. What -- obviously you know when you think of college water polo you'll think of California but why did you pick USC?

Michael Rosenthal: When I was in Florida, I wanted to see how good I can get at water polo. I didn't wanna settle for a school where I would be a player right away or something. I wanted to push myself. And both my parents went to USC. So that might have something to do with it. But it all just came down to on my recruiting trip I loved the school, I loved the program, I love my team mates and it's worked out great over the past 4 years.

Jeff Commings: You got to play in the championship game couple of weeks ago. Was that the first time you were able to play in a national title game?

Michael Rosenthal: No, I played last season as well.

Jeff Commings: Played last season as well. Tell me what's the emotion was like as the game progressed. And what point did you guys know for sure that you are going to win?

Michael Rosenthal: You never wanna jump the gun on that. You always wanna stay focused until the game is over because you never know what gonna happen. That being said, throughout the game our defense was really strong. Our offenses were putting outrshots away. We have a comfortable three goal lead going on to the fourth quarter. And like I said we weren't assuming that we had won it at all until I would say the last minute. But just going into the game we had that confidence that no matter what gonna happen we were gonna win. And down 3 up 3 were gonna fight to the end and come out with the W - and that's the mentality of our team over the past four years and that's why we've been so successful.

Jeff Commings: What was it like for you to able to contribute a point to that 7-4 win?

Michael Rosenthal: It's really incredible, last year I didn't score in the final and this year I've scored one and you know there's a lot of other ways to contribute to the game without scoring but you know you get that goal you get to celebrate in front of the fans. It's a big rush.

Jeff Commings: You said your parents went to USC. I understand they were swimmers there, is that correct?

Michael Rosenthal: Yeah that's correct.

Jeff Commings: Where at one point ever a swimmer?

Michael Rosenthal: Yeah I swam all throughout high school at Ransom Everglades with Andy Dangoho. And it was fun. I really enjoyed swimming but water polo was my actual calling and I'm glad I stuck with it.

Jeff Commings: And your parents didn't all try to sway you to stay with swimming?

Michael Rosenthal: No, they wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do. I had a pretty good run at high school at swimming and water polo is really what I wanted to pursue after that. So they were happy with that decision.

Jeff Commings: and you have a younger sister too that's playing at UCS in water polo. How is she doing?

Michael Rosenthal: She is doing really well. She's a sophomore this year. She started a couple of games as a freshman last year. She's incredible. There looking forward for their season to start. And hopefully they can win a national championship as well.

Jeff Commings: What are the plans for you and USC in the off-season?

Michael Rosenthal: Right now, we are taking a break. We have finals and then winter break and we don't have any practice. But we get back when school starts and start right away preparing for next year, conditioning and all that stuff.

Jeff Commings: Well it's never too early to get ready for championship number 5, I guess?

Michael Rosenthal: Exactly.

Jeff Commings: Well Michael, congratulations again on a being a part of that national championship title team. And we look forward to seeing you hoist a trophy next December.